IYPT Crystals Activities
IYPT Crystals Battlecards
The IYPT Crystals Battlecards are a new addition to our celebrations for the International Year of the Periodic Table (IYPT). This deck is based on elements from our IYPT through Crystals community-led project, which accompanies you in the exploration of the periodic table with fun facts and crystal structures. Each card represents an element (from hydrogen to xenon, in this version) and it contains information about the element itself and about the crystal structure celebrating it. A QR code on the back of the card will give you fast access to the element page on our website, where you can learn more and view the structure in 3D. This deck of battlecards wishes to be a window onto the periodic table and the crystallographic world.
All you need to play this fun card game is a printer to print out the cards and the rules (linked below), scissors and glue. Have fun battling friends and family with the periodic table in your hands!
The IYPT Crystals Battlecards are part of the CCDC’s wider educational resources and were developed with the NCS to form part of the Southampton Science and Engineering Festival (SOTSEF, 22 May – 25 July 2020 and 5-14th March 2021). If you are interested in learning more about science and structural chemistry after playing our IYPT Crystals Battlecards, then do check out more of our educational resources and the SOTSEF site.
The creation of the deck of cards should be carried out under the supervision of an adult and it is done at your own risk. Health and safety risks include potential cuts from scissors or papers, and irritation from contact of glue with eyes, skin, hair or ingestion. Any access to the internet from minors should be done under adult supervision.
A reward is waiting for you after playing the game! You can ask an adult to download a virtual collectable badge from this webpage.
No printer? No problem!
The Battlecards are now an Instagram filter!
You can find the new CCDC Battle Cards filter on our Instragram page. Visit our profile on Instagram (@ccdc_cambridge) and click on the central icon (representing a face). Then, clicking on the filter you can watch the demo and you can try it yourself.
Use our new filter to play Battlecards with your friends from all over the world!
Which card will you land on? Let us know by sharing your videos and tagging us!
Let the fun (and the learning) begin!
Fun facts and trivia playlist
Continue exploring the periodic table and learn more about elements and the crystal structures where you can find them with a collection of short videos. In these videos you will explore the periodic table to find elements from science fiction (do they really exist?), discover facts and trivia about elements and crystal structures, and more!